Free Year One by Nora Roberts Page B

nine million,” Max told her.
    â€œWe’ve come nearly fifty blocks, and I haven’t seen fifty people. Not even one person a block.” She took a breath, tried to steady herself. “I didn’t believe you when you said they weren’t reporting all the dead. I do now. Why did that girl want us dead, Max? Why did they come after us that way, try to kill us?”
    â€œLet me get us out of the city first.”
    He turned onto Park. The wide avenue gave them no clearer path, only provided more room for more cars. She imagined the panic that had caused the pileups, the rage that had overturned buses, cars, the fear that had boarded up windows, even six and seven stories above the streets and sidewalks.
    A corner food cart on its side was picked to the bone. A limo burned out to a husk still smoked. Abandoned cranes rose and swayed like giant skeletons. Max threaded through it all, hands tight on the wheel, eyes tracking.
    â€œA little clearer now,” he said. “Most would’ve headed for the tunnels, the bridges, even after they put up barricades.”
    â€œIt’s still beautiful.” Lana’s throat tightened on the words. “The old brownstones, the mansions.”
    Even with doors ripped off hinges, windows shattered, the beauty held stubbornly on.
    Eyes scanning, Max drove quickly down the wide, once gracious avenue. “It’ll come back,” he said. “Humans are too stubborn not to rebuild, not to resettle a city like New York.”
    â€œAre we human?”
    â€œOf course we are.” To comfort both of them, he covered her hand with his. “Don’t let the fear and suspicion of the brutal and ignorant make you doubt yourself. We’ll get out of Manhattan, and then we’ll head north, north and west, until we find a clear way over the river. The farther away from urban areas, the better the chances.”
    When she only nodded, he squeezed her hand. “If we can’t find a way over, we’ll find somewhere safe to settle in until spring. Trust me, Lana.”
    â€œI do.”
    â€œLess than twenty blocks now before the bridge.” He flicked a glance at the rearview, frowned. “There’s a car moving back there, coming up fast.”
    In response, Max increased their speed.
    Swiveling, Lana looked back. “I think it’s the police. The lights—and now sirens. It’s the police, Max, you should pull over.”
    Instead, he gunned it. “Old rules don’t apply anymore. Some cops are rounding up people like us.”
    â€œNo. I haven’t heard any reports of that. Max! You’re driving too fast.”
    â€œI’m not taking any chances. I’ve talked to others like us, and we’re being rounded up when they can find us. That girl’s not the only one blaming us. We’re nearly there.”
    â€œBut even once we—” She broke off, squeezing her eyes shut when he whipped around a flipped-over truck.
    â€œSlow them down,” he snapped.
    â€œI don’t—”
    â€œDo what you did before, but less. Slow them down.”
    With her heart banging in her throat, she held up a hand, tried to imagine pushing the car back, just pushing it backward.
    She saw it fishtail, then miraculously slow. How is this happening? she thought. A few weeks ago she could barely light a candle, and now … now she was the one burning with light.
    â€œKeep it up. Just hold it. We only need a couple minutes.”
    â€œI’m afraid if I … It could be like the motorcycle. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
    â€œJust hold steady, there’s the bridge. And fuck me! They’ve lifted the span. I didn’t think of it. I should’ve thought of it.”
    Losing her focus, she turned and saw the span of the lift bridge raised high. And the gap between it and the road.
    â€œWe have to turn off!”
    â€œNo. We have to lower it.” He gripped her